There is a 31 Scarab Viper in the classifieds that says it's built by Larry Smith. I've looked at a couple and they are Wellcraft built, I thought they were just like my Panther built by Wellcraft. The Wellcraft brochure shows in '91 the Viper model as a production boat. Anybody now any info on this or the boat? Thanks, Clay

I thought that there were two different versions of the Viper. There was a Wellcraft and a Larry Smith?

I could not find much on that model either anybody no anything about it.

I understand that Wellcraft produced boats have a vin that starts with WEL and Smith built ones I think are vins with TLS or something close to that. Clay

So, what was the idea from Scarab when taking the Viper into production?

what is the different between the Viper and Panther?

My 1992 Viper hull # starts WEL ... I think its a Larry Smith design built by Wellcraft. Compare it to a Panther . Its hull is completely different . It has a small pad that runs 10 or so feet down the running surface.

Sorry for the response delay. It is a Larry Smith built in California. It has a GAB serial # where Wellcraft uses WELP. I only used Viper since it is more familiar. It is 31'1" with 8'6" beam and produced from 1990 to 1993. The race boats did not have a pad. The Wellcraft Panther agreat boat was produced till 1989 and is 30' with 8' beam.

There are some pre 1990 31 foot Smiths I also owned and raced a 1989. The 1994 has a much lighter and stronger balsa composite laminate where my 1989 was just kevlar.

As with most Larry Smiths they were designed and built to be race boats then the molds were shipped to Wellcraft to make production models.

How do you know if it is kevlar or not? The boat is a 86 Viper.